Ridgefield police union gives concession in contract

Published 1:00 am, Sunday, March 15, 2009

RIDGEFIELD -- In a spirit of cooperation with the town, Ridgefield's Police Union has agreed to some $80,000 in cuts in its present contract, said First Selectman Rudy Marconi.

On Thursday, Union President
Chris Daly
and Police Sgt.
Michael Gates
met with Marconi and signed an agreement designed to help the town cut employment costs in the 2009-10 budget.

Rather than take a salary freeze to bring the $80,000 in savings as the town had requested, the Police union agreed to give up uniform allotments for 39 officers through November 2009 and to not fill one officer position when, and if, an expected retirement by one of the officers occurs in December, Marconi said.

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Union officers are contracted to receive one new uniform per fiscal year. Under the new agreement, officers will pay themselves for a new uniform if one is needed up to December 2009.

The Police Union also brought a new three-year contract agreement to Marconi which gives officers a 2.64 percent increase in salary and benefits per year starting in fiscal year 2010. The union has agreed to pay higher insurance premiums and copays to help control costs, Marconi said.

Daly was not available for comment on Friday.

"The Police Union from day one sat down and worked hand-in-hand with the town to bring costs down," Marconi said Friday. "We appreciate the spirit of cooperation in helping us bring in a zero percent increase in taxes."

The
CSEA/SEIU clerical union
and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents the town's parks and recreation, highway and golf course workers, have rejected the town's request for pay freezes but have not yet reached an agreement with the town on what cuts might be made in their contracts to help the town reach some $370,000 in the 2009-10 budget. Representatives from both unions said they are willing to work with the town to bring savings. Response from the firefighters union is still being waited for.

Marconi has said that if concessions are not made by all four unions, layoffs of town employees may occur.

"We've already set our budget," Marconi said. "Either wages will be frozen, or the unions can come back with some other giveback, or there will be layoffs. One of the three will happen. That is not a threat. There is no money in the budget for anything else."